Osvaldo Cavandoli (1920 -2007)

Giannalberto Bendazzi sends word that Italian animator Osvaldo Cavandoli died in Milan on Saturday, March 3rd, 2007, of natural causes. He was 87. Bendazzi writes:

Osvaldo invented and animated La Linea, possibly the best known character Italian animation ever produced. A marvelous human being loved by everyone, he had been honored in June 2006 by the Annecy Museum and the Annecy International Animation Festival.

Well that’s sad! Like so many kids like me in the early 80′s, we grew up on “La Linea” as they used to show them on “The Great Space Coaster”.

I know a guy in Milan who’s close to this guy who was going to send me a drawing by him a couple months back, but I’ve lost a bit a contact with him over personal matters he had. I might have to e-mail him soon about it, but it’s sad to have found out about it now, but I appreciate with this guy did that worked so well on it’s own.

Jim

Yvan Delporte died last sunday too. He was a great comics writer and the main scenarist of the first Smurfs cartoons.

http://gagaman.blogspot.com GagaMan

I wish I’d known of this animator sooner. La Linea looks like a series I would been hooked on as a kid, but can be hooked on it now to catch up, I guess.

La Linea was a fascinating entrance into the world of Turkey TV. Back when Nickelodeon was more variety show and less cartoon, Turkey TV was like a creative Godsend for me at the time. One could witness the pre-SNL Dana Carvey do the “Chopping Broccoli Song” one minute and then international animation the next. It was two hours long, if I recall correctly. While La Linea might be more outstanding than any other document of “our best friend” in the intellect’s fantasies, we can at least sympathize with not only that line but with the pen of the line’s family as we note the sorriness we experience for their loss.

God Bless La Linea, Turkey TV, all impacted by their loss this weekend, and all animators as we recover from the mess left in our hands after the horrors of Cartoon Network.

I miss the Animaniacs.

http://enricocasarosa.com/worpress.1 enrico casarosa

Oh wow, I grew up with la linea … such great creator vs creature comedy …

Rest in peace Cavandoli.

http://demianjohnston.blogspot.com Demian

that is sad. Such an amazing contribution to this world before the lights dimmed though.

http://www.fpsmagazine.com Kino Kid

His work was integral to my childhood; I used to watch it on French television channels and TV Ontario. I loved every minute of it. As kids, if my friends were playing, everything would stop while we all watched.

http://enricocasarosa.com/worpress.1 enrico casarosa

And that jibberish la linea spoke … that was so funny.
Thanks for the laughs Signor Cavandoli.

Chris Sobieniak

Heh, I’m glad someone else remembers Turkey TV. I think it was only on for a half-hour or an hour. Looking through old TV Guides or the listings of an newspaper would probably reveal the truth. I remember seeing a lot of things on there I had to pick up on tape/film later on (some of Bruno Bozzetto’s shorts got stuck up there too I think). One such classic they used to show in snippets was “Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y1EXX4G7H4

Back then Nick used to sorta experiment with different things in an era when cable TV was still in it’s infancy and not everyone had it (some clips on Turkey TV even went as far as to use words like “Hell” or “Damn” I think). It was like a nightmare I wish I could relive again, what with the way TV has became once cable/satellite became the norm. That was the only thing I ever liked about TV in the 80′s when cable channels couldn’t get the big-time Hollywood stuff and had to rely on orginal or foreign productions for much of their time.

I’m so glad I got introduced to Mr Cavandoli’s work at Annecy last year, and I’m even more pleased that he got to experience such warm admiration from his peers throughout that week; seems it was a very timely tribute indeed.

http://www.emergencystoppingonly.com chris

oh my goodness! I completely forgot about la linea until just yesterday. I just happened upon an adult version of la linea by pure accident and the memories of the ones on space coaster came rushing back. I hadn’t seen those cartoons since I was about 6 (I’m 31 now). And now just one day later I find out here he has died? What an amazing coincidence. I want to see them again, I didn’t see their genius back then but I’m sure I’d appreciate them on a better level today.

Sumner Northcutt

I’ve been meaning to post this for the last few days. I am sorry to hear about the death of Cavandoli. I live in Germany and bought one of the 3 DVD’s in 2003. I only saw them in one store in Munich and on Amazon.de. It was readily available until about a year ago. Before Xmas in circa 2004, there was a special box available. According to the post above, there will be a box available on June 14 for 49.99 EU by KSM GmbH . There will only be 2000 available. This is not the same company that has issued the 3 DVDs. I inquired recently and they have no more. I believe Amazon.de has some private sellers with inflated prices ala the Disney Treasures. If you really want to see some examples, take the Munich subway – they are displayed between the ads on major stations. Last year when I was in the US, I took a DVD and showed examples and everyone thought it was quite good. The audio is not in any language but one can understand the “mood”. Highly recommended. I will try to find who holds the rights – perhaps someone in the US can obtain the rights.

http://None Elsie Richardson Van Savage

Sumner, are you the Sumner Northcutt of the Staten Island Academy back in the Jurassic of the 1950s? I thought of you tonight for some odd reason and found this. Hope to hear back—no reason other than curiosity. You were a hoot!!

lc

Chris Sobieniak

Sumner Northcutt wrote, If you really want to see some examples, take the Munich subway – they are displayed between the ads on major stations. Last year when I was in the US, I took a DVD and showed examples and everyone thought it was quite good. The audio is not in any language but one can understand the Ã¢â‚¬Å“moodÃ¢â‚¬?. Highly recommended. I will try to find who holds the rights – perhaps someone in the US can obtain the rights.

I wish I could release them myself! The worst I could do is just a simple thin-pak set I’d sell with the tagline “as seen on The Great Space Coaster” (seems the least I could do). Wouldn’t expect it to be a big seller, but if I could reach out to one guy out there that has that faint memory of seeing these cartoons decades ago like me, I at least have one happy consumer.

Greg Casiglia

I’m so sad to hear about Italian animator Osvaldo Cavandoli passing away- May he always rest in peace in heaven. He was such a talented animator! I loved watching La Linea animation pieces as a chalk figure screeching through obstacles on the classic children’s puppet t.v. show,The Great Space Coaster back in the mid 1980′s! A couple of months ago- he even wrote me back in Italian on My Space! What a good heart he must have had! He was a very gifted person! May God always bless his spirit into eternal life in heaven! His legend of La Linea will always live on in our minds and hearts forever! He was a very special Italian animator/enterianer!

Milton Zuluaga

I just found out that he died this year, and what a coincidence! he was born on 01-01-1920, and he died on 03-03-2007.
When I was in my 20′s, I used to get late to work every day just because I wouldn’t want to miss La Linea on The Great Space Coaster. La Linea has been, and “Will Always Be” my favorite cartoon character. I only wish I could get a hold of a good collection of his cartoons! It’s a plain shame that we all have to die, but in a way Mr Cavandolli has perpetuated himself with this very funny character.

I think the first comment didn’t go over. Trying again. Are you the Sumner Northcutt of Staten Island Academy back in the Jurassic of the 1950s? I hope so — I suddenly flashed on you tonight and found this. I’d love to hear back from you–no agenda–just gettin’ old and am having great memory things going on. You were SO funny back then. Hope to hear back.